Rumour Mill RoundUpDate Vol 15 Issue 7

Volume 15 Issue 7 Easter Edition 2 April 2015Warning: Some readers may find the facts, or lack of facts, contained in certain articles in this edition disturbing. Reader discretion may be required.

Possible Seedling Losses Under Examination

It may take another ten days before a clear picture emerges of the full extent of seedling damage and losses at some nurseries due to exceptional weather last fall. What is known, so far, is that only seedlings grown in open compounds are involved affecting planting projects this spring in the south Interior. Exceptionally warm weather last fall left exposed seedlings at nurseries vulnerable to two pulses of cold polar air in October and November. The damage done by those frosts is just beginning to show up as seedlings undergo nursery pre-planting growth trials to test for vitality. In some cases the results have been discouraging leading to the reduction of some planting projects. Contractors should get in touch with their clients, if they haven’t already, to see if there are changes pending for work this spring.

Off Road Vehicle Plates Required by 1 June 2015

Proposed vanity plate style for off road tree planting vehicles

ATVs, UTVs, snowmobiles, golf carts and the like operating on Crown Land or forestry roads on Crown Land will require plates and insurance starting 1 June this year. Registration can be completed at ICBC Autoplan brokers. The WSCA has prepared a primer on registering, plating and insuring ORVs and can be found at www.wfca.ca or by contacting admin@wfca.ca

Executive Group to Work With WSCA on Coast Silviculture Operations Safety

Will we see the end of truck traps? Why not just leave the roads in until silviculture work is done?A safety task force comprising senior executives from coast licensees, government, logging contractors and the United Steelworkers has agreed to work with silviculture contractors to sort out imperatives around road deactivation, marine transportation and other critical matters affecting coastal silviculture operations. The Coast Harvest Advisory Group (CHAG) identified silviculture safety as a strategic priority after the WSCA raised concerns over access to planting blocks and the recent close call involving the foundering of the Lasqueti Daughters a landing barge used on coast silviculture work.

Silviculture Labour Market Partnership Agreement Wraps Up With Two Major Reports

The BC Silviculture Workforce Initiative concluded its three-year Labour Market Agreement at the end of March producing two major reports intended to assist the province’s silviculture sector in recruiting, retaining and training its workforce. The British Columbia’s Silviculture Workforce 2015—2020 Human Resource Strategy identified ten key strategies individual employers and the sector as a whole need to treat as priorities in order to maintain a reliable and competent workforce. Those included better training of workers, improved compliance with employment standards, reduction of workplace harassment and promoting the sector’s brand. The LMP agreement also implemented annual employee and employer surveys providing critical data on the size and make up of the workforce as well as laying the ground work for continuing labour market research and monitoring. Over the next few weeks the reports and workforce training products created by the Initiative will become available on www.wfca.ca and the new silviculture community of practice website forestwork.ca that will replace BCBushwhacker.

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